Tag: july fourth

“July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 180 days remaining until the end of the year. This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday (58 in 400 years each) than on Thursday or Friday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Tuesday or Sunday (56). The Aphelion, the point in the year when the Earth is farthest from the Sun, occurs around this date.”

~https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_4

The most popular rendition of July 4th is the American celebrations that have taken place since their Independence from Britain during the 1776 end of the Revolutionary War. Nowadays, if you travel around the world, many of USA’s allies also engage in similar festivities and celebrations from China to Europe.

Google will delight in reminding you of the three USA presidents who died on July 4th: Thomas Jefferson (July 4, 1826), John Adams (July 4, 1826), and James Monroe (1831). And don’t forget the president born on July 4th, 1872 – Calvin Coolidge.

On July 4th, the Philippines also celebrate their own unique independence from the USA during their Republic Day. Fun fact: the USA owned the islands -after Spain sold the islands in 1898- till 1946. This celebration date was later changed to July 12th to reflect an earlier declaration of independence of the Philippines while under the rule of Spain.

Rwanda also celebrates Liberation Day which commemorates the end of the Rwandan genocide on July 4, 1994, thanks to the USA’s support and aid.

If all the countries of the world could view the USA during the celebration, I wonder what they would make of the inordinate food consumption, merrymaking, and strange customs.

There are 180 days left in the year

That’s all I’m thinking about.

So much to do, so little time. Is there enough to make a difference? How much will you achieve in 180 days?

Is it enough time to start afresh and make changes to the benefit of yourself and others?

Governments would argue that it’s possible. A little less than 6 months can easily roll back legislations, pass laws, enact policies, and erect statutes.

Armies would argue that it’s possible. Countries can be invaded in less time, wars have been won within months.

Science can make large strides by that time. A cumulation of life knowledge moved forward on the shoulders of generations of information gathered throughout the years.

Ocean levels can rise in less time, tens of hurricanes will whip by, weather patterns can lay waste to the world within days. Natural disasters can occur within seconds. Seconds.

Migrations take only days to complete, dependent on numbers and distance. Thousands on the planet will die and thousands more will be born. New diseases and old diseases will have their time on the stage of life.

New movies, new shows, new media and more art and marketing will fill the world and flood the senses.

More endangered animals will die. More will become extinct.

Sadly, hardly any of this will be acknowledged. Social media will drag us back into the embedded sensationalism and rhetoric that we’ve engaged in since… forever.

Will that change? Maybe.

Will that change in 180 days? I doubt it.

Can people change in 180 days? It’s possible but unlikely.

Can we make this world a better place in 180 days?

…

I don’t know. Does anyone even care?

The minority. No.

How do you know?

Review the 186 days that have come before.

But the world isn’t just defined by the circumference of the earth. The world is defined by what happens in your corner of life, your sliver of the community every day.

Make something good within the next 180, huh?

Maybe it will ripple out and add some drops of positivity to the planet.